Ticket prices for the women’s singles final at Wimbledon have been raised by £40, matching the £240 selling price for a men’s final ticket.
Tickets for the women’s final on Centre Court have often been sold for a cheaper price.
Spectators paid £200 to watch Ashleigh Barty defeat Karolína Plíšková in the women’s final last year, but splashed out £240 to see Novak Djokovic beat Matteo Berrettini in the men’s final.
This year, a top price of £240 will be charged for both the men and women’s matches.
Ticket prices for the women’s semi-finals have also been increased by £40, and will now cost £210 to attend. This will be at the same cost as attending a men’s final four match.
According to The Times, All England Club officials made the decision to match the ticket prices to ensure the women’s tournament did not come across as less important.
A disparity in ticket prices is still an issue at other Grand Slams, with the French Open charging £126 for the women’s final and £220 for the men’s final.
The move from Wimbledon comes 15 years after the tournament offered men and women equal prize money for the first time. This had faced opposition due to the difference in the number of sets played at each tournament – men play five sets, while women contest three.
LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 08: Ashleigh Barty of Australia celebrates victory after winning her Ladies' Singles Semi-Final match against Angelique Kerber of Germany on Day Ten of The Championships - Wimbledon 2021 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 08, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by AELTC/Jed Leicester - Pool/Getty Images)
To offset complaints about a rise in ticket prices when female tennis players contest fewer sets, the tournament will be arranged to ensure a maximum number of sets can be viewed throughout the day.
A best-of-three-set mixed doubles final will follow the women’s singles semi-finals, for example, while a best-of-five-set men’s doubles final will be played after the women’s singles final.
The best-of-three-set women’s doubles final will conclude Wimbledon after the men’s singles final.
Wimbledon is scheduled for June 27th to July 10th. British fans will be hoping to catch a glimpse of Emma Raducanu, who first captured the public’s attention at the All England Lawn Tennis Club last year.
The 19-year-old reached the fourth round of the Grand Slam as a wildcard, but was forced to withdraw from her clash with Ajla Tomljanovic with “breathing difficulties”.
Just months later, Raducanu became the first qualifier, male or female, to win a Grand Slam.
She stormed to victory at the US Open, defeating Leylah Fernandez in the final to make history. It was the first time a female British tennis player had won a major since Virginia Wade in 1977.
LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 05: Emma Raducanu of Great Britain plays a forehand in her Ladies' Singles Fourth Round match against Ajla Tomljanovic of Australia during Day Seven of The Championships - Wimbledon 2021 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 05, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)